About Nicole Delacroix:
I was raised with a deep love of words and literature. This appetite for reading was the foundation fueling my creative passion for writing. With a strong will and precocious nature, I am the atypical Texan Southern belle, preferring the fantastical, science and reason. Growing up in the buckle of the Bible Belt, writing was my saving grace.
A fan of all genres, I will most often be found buried in fantasy, science fiction or nonfiction, favoring George RR Martin, Douglas Adams and Michio Kaku, with Joan Rivers, Mae West, Madonna and Audrey Hepburn as personal role-models, each possessing a strength I admire. Diversity extends to my writing as well, as I write about anything that strikes my interest, with a keen eye for character and the absurd.
A blogger, author, and IT professional for a major ISP, I am consistently sought out to provide guest blogs and the oft-maligned tech manual, and receive many requests to review new works from fellow authors. I believe life is about possibilities, which challenges me to write outside my comfort zone, try new projects and meet new people.
Fiercely loyal to friends, family and pets, I am a proud member of the Atlanta Writer’s Club, avid Tweeter, and closet Anglophile with addictions to British Tea, Doctor Who and Soccer. Above all, I maintain sarcasm is a legitimate art form and strive to challenge conventional thinking.
What inspires you to write?
I always had an inclination to internalize things, so I started writing when I was pretty young. Diaries and journals started me on the path and once I hit high school all I could do was write short stories and poetry. Anytime I felt overwhelmed I’d simply escape into my stories. I think my mother was my biggest inspiration to write, she’s always told me I could do anything and be anything I wanted. Unfortunately, Pirate isn’t a viable option. But I love telling stories, and I love coming up with scenarios and trying to live another life in my head.
Tell us about your writing process.
I think most writers are creatures of habit. I like to have a clean desk – I hate clutter around me when I work. Beyond that, I like to listen to classical music or David Garrett when I write. I like music without lyrics when I work. I’m pretty much a ‘seat-of-my-pants’ writer – I get an idea and I start putting pen to paper – well I prefer using Word or Schrivner but that’s the nuts and bolts of it.
For the abstract, I’m an idea person. With non-fiction – I generally get an idea in my head of what I’d like to write about, then I do a little research to see if the topic is worth writing about – I have to ask myself “is what I have to say on the subject worth a book? Would anyone be interested in reading about that?” If I feel confident that I can add something to the topic then I write up a basic outline showing what chapters would be about and what direction I want to go in. With fiction – I think the character comes first. I can only compare it to the fully formed character standing there telling me to write their story. I get to the point where it’s almost compulsion that drives me to write their story.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Ha! I just finished saying to myself ‘they’re going to think I’m crazy’ – but aren’t the best people crazy? I write both fiction and nonfiction and for me writing becomes compulsory. I hear that character chattering away in my head and I HAVE to put it down on paper. It starts as a little idea that I can put to the side, but as the character grows the louder they get. I even get to the point where I ask the character where they want the story to go.
What advice would you give other writers?
Never take no for an answer – your writing may not be one persons’ cup of tea, but the next person may think it’s the best thing they’ve ever read. Writing and reading are subjective, think of readers like snowflakes. You have to find the right snowflake for your work and push the negative aside. Accept the constructive criticisms, they will make you a better writer, but let the negativity wash off. Most important, never give up, remember, Stephen King threw out Carrie before it got published.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I initially looked for an agent and a publisher. I wanted to have the traditional book deal. I was lucky enough to submit it to one of the big 7 publishing houses, and while the editor liked my first incarnation of the piece, she didn’t agree with my view on the market for the book. I could have spent the time revamping and reworking the piece until it was exactly what the publisher wanted, but I had a vision for the piece and it was my voice. They didn’t agree with it, so I choose to self-publish. I had my own vision for the piece and I felt that there were too many things I had to give up to just get considered by a publishing house. In essence, I was giving up everything, my voice, my vision and there was still no guarantee that they would pick it up. I have faith in my piece, and in my target audience, so I decided that I would try it on my own and find my audience.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I recently heard on NPR a discussion about how the next generation will never experience a real book; that technology has taken us past the need for paper and the written word. I believe there are more people like me; that love that feel of a book and the smell of a dusty library. That search and scour through bookstore shelves to find just that right book. That’s the hunt for someone like me. Then the E-reader came along, and being the book snob and elitist I am, I snubbed my nose at it and said “not me, no, never”. Then a friend and I were planning a life-long trip to London, and suddenly space was an issue (what? I can’t bring 20 books on the plane?), and I succumbed to the Kindle.
E-readers were still in their infancy, so I probably have the Commodore 64 version, but I digress, I ate my words and bought one. Suddenly I could take hundreds of books all without having to leave any of my shoes behind, who was the genius that came up with this! Now I can take as many books as I want without limiting my shoe space, but I had to forsake the things I loved most about books, the feel and the smell. I think that there is a marketplace for both and while technology will make it easier to experience books and great writing, I think that there will always be a need for physical books. I think self-publishing has opened the doors to many of us to get our work out in the world to share it with others, and that’s a great thing. So in this humble writer’s opinion, the future looks bold and bright, but we have to keep up with the technology and adapt.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Nonfiction-humor, Nonfiction-essay, Fiction-YA, Fiction-Fantasy
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Nicole Delacroix Home Page Link
Link To Nicole Delacroix Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
